The 44th Ale Kino! Festival announces its 2026 call for films

Submissions are now open for the 44th edition of the Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival, which will take place in Poznań, Poland, from 22-29 November 2026.

We invite producers, distributors and filmmakers from across the globe to submit their latest films for children and young audiences to be considered for this year’s programme.

Ale Kino! is one of Europe’s leading festivals dedicated to high-quality, original cinema for young viewers. The Festival presents a carefully curated programme comprising competition strands, thematic sections, and a range of special and industry events. At its core are the competitions, where young audiences engage with outstanding international filmmaking.

Eligibility

Films eligible for competition must:

• have been produced after 1 January 2024 (2024–2026),
• be either feature-length (over 60 minutes) or short (under 30 minutes),
• be live-action, animated or documentary,
• constitute a self-contained artistic work,
• be intended for audiences aged 5 and above. 

Films compete across five main categories:

• International Feature Film Competition for Children (5–10)
• International Feature Film Competition for Young Teens (11–13)
• International Feature Film Competition for Youth (14+)
• International Short Film Competition for Children and Young Teens (5–13)
• International Short Film Competition for Youth (14+) 

Awards – The Golden and Neon Goats

Films in competition are evaluated by international professional juries as well as children’s and youth juries.

In each category, the following awards are presented:

• Golden Goats – main awards granted by the professional juries,
• Neon Goats – awards presented by the young jurors.

All feature-length films produced between 2024 and 2026 and screened within the competition and thematic sections are also eligible for the Audience Award.

How to Submit

The final submission deadline is 3 July 2026.

Entries must be submitted via online platform FilmFreeway.

To complete the submission, applicants are required to fill in the online entry form and provide a preview screener in English or with English subtitles.

Full regulations, including technical requirements, information regarding festival prints and promotional rights, are available in the official Rules and Regulations.

Why Submit?

Ale Kino! offers filmmakers a meaningful platform to present their work to a discerning young audience, alongside film industry and education professionals. Competition titles are screened multiple times during the Festival, and the awards represent a significant distinction within the international landscape of children’s and youth film festivals.

We warmly invite you to be part of the 44th Ale Kino! Festival in Poznań.